dezembro 11, 2010

Frequently Asked Questions

What types of companies are on the 'Don't Test' list?

The list only includes companies that make cosmetics and personal-care and household-cleaning products. PETA's Caring Consumer Project was founded because no law requires that these types of products be tested on animals, so manufacturers of these products have no excuse for using animal testing. Companies that aren't on this list should be boycotted until they implement a policy that prohibits animals testing.

The list does not include companies that only manufacture products that are required by law to be tested on animals (e.g., pharmaceuticals, automotive and garden chemicals, food additives, etc.). While PETA is opposed to all animal testing, our quarrel in those instances is less with the individual companies and more with the regulatory agencies that require animal testing. Nonetheless, it is important to let companies know that it is their responsibility to convince the regulatory agencies that there are better ways to determine product safety.

The "Don't Test" list does include some companies that manufacture both products that are and products that are not required to be tested on animals, but in order to be listed, each company has stated that it does not conduct any animal tests that are not required by law.

How does a company get on the list?

Companies listed either signed PETA's statement of assurance or provided a statement verifying that they do not conduct or commission any nonrequired animal tests on ingredients, formulations, or finished products and that they pledge not to do so in the future.

How do I know that these companies really don't test on animals?

To a degree, the statement of assurance is a matter of trust. However, companies are putting their integrity on the line when they respond to consumers. A company that has publicly announced an end to its animal tests and states in writing that it doesn't test on animals would face a public relations disaster (and potential lawsuits) if it were caught testing on animals. Companies are well aware that consumers are serious about the issue of animal testing, and they know that it would ruin the public's confidence in their products if consumers discovered that companies were being dishonest about their animal-testing policies.

What about a product whose label says, 'No Animal Testing,' but whose manufacturing company is not on PETA's 'Don't Test' list?

Labels can be deceiving, so be careful. No specific laws exist regarding cruelty-free labeling of products, so companies can take liberties. While it is unlikely that a company would put blatantly false information about its animal-testing practices on its products, the statements that it does make might not be fully informative and might indeed mislead consumers. For example, the label on Clairol's Herbal Essence shampoo states that it is not tested on animals; Clairol, however, does test other products on animals. Many animal-testing companies have some cruelty-free products, but we must boycott all the companies' products in order to pressure them into stopping all animal tests. If the label on a company's product says that it is not tested on animals and the company isn't on either of PETA's lists, please share the company's contact information with PETA so that we can formally inquire about the company's animal-testing policy. Likewise, if you communicate with a company that claims to be cruelty-free but is not on our list, please ask for a statement in writing and send a copy of the statement to PETA. We will communicate with the company to see if it meets all our cruelty-free criteria. Meanwhile, PETA recommends purchasing products made only by companies on our "Don't Test" list.

Some companies are not educated about or sensitive to the suffering of animals in the production of certain products that do not involve the actual slaughter of animals. PETA attempts to educate these companies, but some have persisted in inaccurately labeling their products as free of animal ingredients even though it is a fact that honey, lanolin, etc., are animal products. Our advice is always to read the entire label before believing such a statement, and we encourage you to voice your complaints to these companies as well. For our list of "Animal Ingredients and Their Alternatives," please visit CaringConsumer.com.

How often are PETA's product lists updated?

PETA's "Do Test" and "Don't Test" factsheets are updated approximately every two to four months to reflect additions (e.g., if we are informed of a new company's policy prohibiting animal testing), deletions (e.g., if a company that doesn't test on animals is purchased by an animal-testing company or if a company goes out of business), changes in contact information, etc. These factsheets are based on the most current information available at the time of printing. Companies might have changed their animal-testing policies after this edition was printed.

PETA reserves the right to choose which companies will be included, based on companies' policies. Inclusion on any list is not an endorsement by PETA of a company or any of its products. Please contact PETA if you have any questions about the status of listed companies or if you know the address of a company that is not listed.

The following companies manufacture products that ARE NOT tested on animals. Those marked with an asterisk (*) manufacture strictly vegan products—made without animal ingredients, such as milk and egg byproducts, slaughterhouse byproducts, lanolin from sheep, honey, or beeswax (for a list of animal ingredients and their alternatives, please contact PETA or visit CaringConsumer.com). Companies without an asterisk might offer some vegan products. Some of the company names are followed by the name of their parent or subsidiary companies or by examples of products manufactured by that company.

Legend

* The company makes or sells strictly vegan products.

eThe company's products can be purchased through the online PETA Mall at PETAMall.com, and PETA will receive 5 to 10 percent of every purchase at no additional cost to you.

Companion-Animal Food Manufacturers

What's wrong with pet food?

Most caring consumers would never guess that lonely dogs and cats are confined to tiny, barren laboratory cages for years on end and subjected to horrible experiments in order to test dog and cat food.

To expose this tragedy, PETA conducted a nine-month undercover investigation of a laboratory that performed cruel animal tests for Iams and other major companion-animal food companies. What our investigator uncovered, including the following, would outrage anyone with a heart:

·Dogs dumped on cold concrete flooring after having chunks of muscle cut out of their thighs

·Experimenters who severed dogs' vocal cords in order to keep them quiet

·Sick dogs who were languishing in their cages without veterinary care

These animals suffered so that Iams and other companion-animal food companies could slap "new and improved" labels on their products. The following companies make top-quality food for dogs and cats—without harming animals in laboratories. Please help us drive animal abusers out of business by buying only from these companies. Companies not on this list either responded that they do conduct laboratory experiments on animals or they failed to respond to our numerous inquiries and are assumed to conduct laboratory experiments on animals.

For more information about how dog and cat food is contaminated with cruelty and to find the most up-to-date list of companies that don't test on animals, check out www.IamsCruelty.com.